April 26th – Poor long-range photos, but these are for @thestymaster, a fellow cat fan. As the spring really gets into gear, those minders of the summer street – domestic cats – emerge from their winter torpor and start patrolling, loafing, lazing and generally keeping a eye on their outdoor kingdoms.

I spotted this delightful partial tabby checking out the neighbourhood for compliance in Pleck, and he was most put out to discover I’d spotted him. Do look at that tail – the one terminal white ring.

I love to see the cats outdoors. A sure sign of an improving climate.

October 20th – Also up on Chasewater Dam, I spotted the crack in the render of the back wall of the dam cottage. It’s obviously been there a while, and someone is monitoring it – that white plate, glued across the fracture with resin, was put there to gauge if the crack was growing. The plate has indeed fractured, and a portion is now missing.

I guess it’s a remnant of the dam works here. I never noticed it before.